


Equals

by intoxicatedcinnamon (orphan_account)



Category: Free!
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-02
Updated: 2015-11-02
Packaged: 2018-04-29 13:53:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5130089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/intoxicatedcinnamon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>'Equal' isn't a concept to be measured through their actions because loving each other means balancing out just by being who they are </p><p>In which Haru gets a cramp from training and Makoto takes care of him with an overdose of domestic fluffiness</p>
            </blockquote>





	Equals

**Author's Note:**

> Please do leave comments and kudos if you enjoyed this! :)
> 
> Fanart for this fic and others I've written are currently residing at @attemptingtofan on insta, go say hi!!! (we follow back hehe) <3

It’s cloudy today; there’s no threat of rain but it’s one of those soft, overcast afternoons that make Haru want to curl up under his blankets while hiding in a hoodie—Makoto’s, preferably. But Kou is making them do core strength training beside the pool because apparently, _you won’t get a headache from the heat and you need the exercise anyway, ne Haru? You can’t just be swimming all the time!_ Haru begs to differ but the red-haired team manager can be insistent when she wants to be and experience tells Haru she’s right—infuriatingly so. The pool water glimmers and ripples enticingly in the breeze and it looks deeper than usual because of the yawning shadows uninterrupted by sunlight.

“Okay guys, 7 rounds around the school first, followed by 300 squats, 100 dips, 50 push-ups and we’ll finish off with 100 crunches! Not too difficult right?” Kou announces with a smile way too jubilant for the torture that lies ahead. “I got this from Onii-chan’s old routine and increased the number just to keep you in shape!” Everyone moves to take advantage of the good weather: Rei meticulously takes off his glasses and runs off to the toilets to put in contact lenses, Nagisa follows after him chattering brightly about how Rei-chan should think about getting different coloured lenses so he can show up in style during trainings and having “I’m not as vain as you, baka!” faintly shouted back at him. Makoto removes the jacket that he’s been wearing throughout the day and oh... Haru’s focus immediately sharpens when he notices that Makoto has donned a sleeveless sports tunic which is slightly loose and makes him look even taller and leaner. His tanned, muscled arms contrast warmly with the black, giving him a capable yet approachable air. Makoto turns to smile at him, and it’s perfectly platonic, the encouraging smile of a swim team captain to a fellow second-year, but Haru colours up at the attention and tilts his head down.

He is feeling slightly better about the routine. Sometimes, sleeveless Makoto is a pleasant change from the usual shirtless Makoto.

They start warming up with jumping jacks and stretches but Haru keeps glancing back at the pool. _If you weren’t going to let us in you shouldn’t make us train right beside it,_ he grumbles but he consoles himself with the prospect of a long soak in the bath when he gets home.

After one and a half hours, they are almost done with the crunches, everyone is counting down and there are 20 more to go. Haru feels a cramp starting to form in his stomach but he ignores it and pushes on. _Just one more, one more_ , and it’s not till the team is practically shouting the last three numbers when it hits him at full force—a searing, paralysing cramp in his abs that renders him unable to lie down or get up and he panics through the pain. He tries to call for someone, but his head is throbbing and he can’t open his eyes or breathe because the light is too disorientating and he feels like he’s going to throw up. Feeling cold sweat bead on his forehead, he lets himself fall on his back. The uncoordinated stretch makes him cry out, a low, guttural groan that echoes in his skull and causes the cramp to push even harder. He is faintly aware of someone breathing hard and running towards him but he doesn’t know what he can do—he can’t stretch his legs or neck and the pain is just too much, too much and too heavy.

A strong arm lifts his shoulders and “Haru! Are you okay? Haru-chan!” in Makoto’s voice filters through. Forcing his eyes open, Haru sees Makoto hovering over him, his face full of worry and concern. “Did you get a cramp, Haru-chan?” Haru’s reply comes out as a weak gasp and jerking of his head; he feels the pain clawing up his sternum and it’s getting harder to inhale. Panting, Makoto raises his shoulders even more and positions himself behind Haru to take his weight, wiping away the sweat and murmuring over and over again “It’s alright, Haru, I’m here. It’s okay.”

Kou moves to rub his stomach in long, sure strokes, making sure that he breathes and slowly works out the cramps. Haru’s in a blur, but the dizziness gets less and less and soon he croaks out “Mako…” while feeling tears form at the intensity of the forced stretch that leaves him even more confused than before. The nausea is still nagging at the back of his throat and at the top of his head but Makoto is immediately stroking his chest and calming him down, saying softly “It’s okay Haru, I’m here, I know it hurts but you’ll be okay… breathe yeah? Breathe.”

Rei and Nagisa come bounding over, with exclamations of “Haru-senpai!” and “What happened?” Haru can’t help but be distantly struck by the humour of the situation—Rei is more concerned about the situation itself rather than his informed opinion on it for once, and Nagisa has completely lost his composure, gesturing wildly and screaming “Get ice, get ice!” only to be silenced by Kou’s deadpan “This isn’t a sprain, Nagisa, shut up.” But regardless of their good intentions, they’re giving him a new headache and so he shifts in Makoto’s arms and says a little more audibly, “So noisy, Makoto… tell them to go away.”

Makoto dismisses the session and Rei takes the hint, pulling Nagisa along to shower. Kou has managed to alleviate most of the pain and Haru is deeply grateful but now he only wants Makoto around because his heart still hasn't stopped believing it's going to collapse. Thankfully, Kou gets up too and says lightly, "There, it's better now! Let me know if anything else happens, Makoto-kun!"

Her footsteps recede and there's only the two of them left at the poolside. Makoto brushes aside the black-haired boy's fringe and kisses his forehead. "You haven't had cramps like this for a while hm Haru? Bet you must have been pretty scared... It's fine though, you better lie here and rest for a while. I'll go pack up okay?"

Haru is still breathing in long, harsh gasps with his brows knitted together, dealing with the residual shock. Makoto comes back a while later with both their bags. "Can you stand?" He asks tenderly, eyes mellowed with sympathy. Haru struggles into a sitting position and reaches out for his bag but Makoto just holds it away from him with a smile. He holds out a hand and helps him up, supporting him with his left arm and carrying their bags on his right. "Let's go home."

They walk slowly down the familiar path, with Haru still bent slightly and concentrating fully on moving his legs forward. Makoto is quiet this evening, propping his boyfriend up whenever he falters, and they steadily approach the long flight of stairs that lead up to Haru's house. Makoto doesn't wave goodbye like he normally does, bypassing his house without a second glance and coaxing Haru up.

Haru doesn't want Makoto to climb all the way up and back down again. What's more, he knows that the protective side of his childhood friend will see him climbing back up again to check on him. He pauses, and the words come out more disgruntled than he actually feels, "I can handle myself, Makoto. It's fine, go home." Makoto looks surprised for an instant, but shields Haru's attempts to take his bag with a winning smile, "I'm staying over, silly. I told my mum just now, but I'll be going down later to get the extra dinner she cooked for us." 

Haru's steely resolve cracks at this—after a lifetime-and a year, Makoto still puts him before himself. They have a test tomorrow and Haru knows Makoto didn't manage to get much studying done over the weekend because he had to watch the twins while his parents planned some alone time and Makoto, the sweet boy that he is, didn't tell them about it. But Makoto's eyes crinkle into long-lashed curves and Haru doesn't know how to put this rush of emotion into words: a muttered "thank you" does not suffice and he reaches up to cup Makoto's jaw and rub his cheek with the pad of his thumb, hoping that Makoto will understand.

It's adorable really, how the skin beneath his fingers heats up ever so slightly. Blushing at Haru's unexpected show of affection, Makoto turns to shyly touch his chapped lips to the middle of his palm. 

Depositing the bags in the hallway, Makoto quickly unlaces his shoes and runs to the bathroom, skidding and sliding clumsily all the way. Haru hears the sound of water running. Kicking away his shoes with a groan, Haru prepares to get the towel from his room but just as he's crossing the threshold, Makoto is slipping out again, looking completely at ease. "Get in the bath, Haru-chan, I'll get your stuff for you." Haru is about to ask if he even knows where anything is but Makoto reads his glance and calls out over his shoulder, "Yes Haru, towels are in the bottom left drawer, underwear is in the one above." Laughing, he adds, "Even if I can't find a shirt I've seen you in much less, Haru-chan! Now go!"    
   
Haru quickly strips and climbs in the hot water, unable to stop the long sigh that escapes from his lips. His abs still feel wrung out from the cramp but he doesn't feel like lingering today. The sounds of Makoto padding around outside make Haru want nothing than to hold him close and pay attention to his every need for the rest of the night. He had been panting when he first rushed to his side, the sweat on his chest had seeped through Haru's shirt and the exhaustion might have blunted Haru's perceptiveness but he noticed the tiredness in Makoto's eyes all the same. And now, despite having trained as hard as anyone else, that idiot is still worrying about Haru before he has even taken off his socks. 

As if on cue, Makoto comes in to hang his towel, boxers and long-sleeved sleep shirt on the rail. “You feeling better, Haru-chan?” Haru nods, and smiles at the nickname now. Makoto makes him feel as though he has only begun to discover the depth of affection under it with everything he does. “That’s good, I’ll go down to shower and get dinner. You soak for a little bit longer okay?”

Dinner is good even though there’s no saba, and Haru makes sure Makoto drinks more water so he doesn’t fall sick tomorrow. He takes over the washing up, and shoos the brown-haired boy out to start revising. The cool water and cold porcelain of the bowls soothe him, calming his mind and erasing the lightning flashes of fear that still twinge through him. “Do you need help?” Haru pokes his head through the open door, “I can teach you if you want me to.”

“It’s okay Haru, I think I’ll be fine on my own!”

He wanders out to the hall carrying two cups of hot green tea and finds Makoto sifting through his notes, with Haru’s pen in his hand. He sets down the tray, and Makoto jumps a little. Shifting to the side so Haru can sit beside him, he scolds mildly, “Haru-chan! I didn’t hear you come out… Oh, and I forgot to bring my pencil case up so I just got yours from your bag, you don’t mind right?” Haru shakes his head and draws his knees up to his chest, slipping an arm around Makoto’s waist and resting his head on his shoulder. Makoto notices that Haru has become much more physical after getting home, but he doesn’t mind at all. Chuckling at how small his boyfriend has curled himself up, he rests his free hand on the back of Haru’s neck, rubbing the ridges of his spine comfortingly.

Makoto winds down into a state of quiet contentment and begins to think about asking Haru to go to bed before him but before he can voice his thoughts, Haru’s fingers stop stroking along his side and unfazed, pull off his shirt. "Study, Makoto." His deep blue eyes don’t give anything away, but Makoto hides a smile, knowing that big reactions push Haru back into his guarded front and he’s quite liking this upfront side of his boyfriend. Sitting cross-legged behind him, Haru starts working out the tension in his boyfriend's shoulders, rubbing in circles and kneading all the way down his back. The night is peaceful: crickets hum outside the window, and the familiar sound of pages turning make the intensity a few hours ago feel like a separate day altogether. Makoto lets out little involuntary “ah”s and “mmhh”s of relief and the sounds travel down to rest warmly in Haru’s heart. He feels like he’s doing something in return, and while Makoto has never been calculative, Haru likes balancing the scale once in a while especially when Makoto is least expecting it.   

A few months ago, Haru would have hesitated at the idea of him initiating physical contact but now, he wants to make up for all the lost time. Gently combing and tugging through light brown hair, he leans forward to peer over his shoulder where Makoto has taken up reciting the flowchart under his breath with his eyes closed. His forehead is scrunched up in concentration, and Haru doesn’t want to disturb him by talking so he presses a kiss to the sharp protrusion of Makoto’s shoulder, just to say _I’m here_ , and _I’ll take care of you until you’re done_. 

They go to bed at 11 after Makoto manages to repeat all the important parts of the chapter to Haru from memory. Makoto drapes himself around the smaller boy, pulling him under the blanket they share and resting his chin on his shoulder to surround him in his warmth. Haru feels so fragile in comparison. The whole reason why Makoto is staying over on a school night hits him once again and the random flutteriness of anxiety beats its feathery wings against his chest. He faces the wall, breathing shallowly and tugs Makoto’s arm tighter around his waist. The darkness dissolves his reservations and right now, all he wants is more comfort. “Just now sucked, Makoto…” he mumbles quietly, reaching down to hold Makoto’s hand. For a moment, he’s worried how Makoto will react and about whether it’s selfish to ask for even more of him, or if Makoto is actually tired of him making a big deal out of cramps that athletes must get all the time. But it’s all unnecessary, as it normally is. Makoto just draws a long breath and calmly strokes his hair that faintly reflects the moonlight, “Yeah, you haven’t had cramps like that for a long time, I knew you would be scared… That’s why I’m sleeping here with you, ne Haru?” There is no reprimand or impatience, only tender understanding. And Haru can hear the smile in his voice when he kisses the side of Haru’s forehead near his closed eyes, and continues slowly, half-drifting, “I love you, and you protected me too when I panicked in the ocean, remember? Don’t worry yeah, sleep now… test tomorrow... we’ll do well, Haru-chan.”  

And as Haru stretches back to fleetingly cup Makoto’s face, he knows there is no measuring of _equal_ between them, only giving and giving till they both fall asleep.

 

 

 


End file.
